Abban Sojoji Book 1 Complete Hausa Novel By Hafsat Bature

A Harsh Rebuke at the Gate

She covered her ears, exhausted from listening to the stream of insults that Buzu, the gatekeeper, kept hurling at her.

“You, if it’s witchcraft you used to trap someone, wallahi it will take great effort to find a cure!”

“I told you Hajiya isn’t around, yet you keep coming every day. Don’t you have a heart, or did a dog lick it away? Just a small girl like you, yet so stubborn and shameless, with those bulging eyes like a lizard’s hatchling, staring at people without any modesty. You little rascal!”

Slowly, she lifted her head and looked at him, feeling the humiliation in his words. Her eyes filled with tears, her small lips trembling, and her expression changed completely.

In his mind, he expected her to talk back. He knew children of this generation rarely kept quiet when offended. He fixed his eyes on her, waiting. He saw her stepping backward and thought she was about to leave. Instead, she found a spot by the wall of the house, squatted down, buried her head on her knees, and began to cry—a heartbreaking, soul-piercing cry.

He stood there watching her, regret written all over him. Deep in his heart, he felt he had wronged her. As a Muslim, he realized he had failed to understand this little girl who wandered around the gate every day. He had never once asked himself why she kept coming. There was no way he hadn’t chased her away like a stray dog, yet that never stopped her from returning the next day.

With a heavy heart, he moved toward her, crouched in front of her, and said,

“Enough of this crying! Lift your head and tell me what’s wrong. Why do you come every day asking for Hajiya?”

She raised her tear-streaked face, mucus mixing with her sobs, and said,

“I come looking for Hajiya because I heard she helps girls find work and pays them.”

He stared at her silently for a moment before asking,

“Why are you looking for a job? You’re just a child. Don’t you have elders at home?”

She shook her head.

“No, we have no one. It’s just me and my siblings, and they’re sick. They’re in the hospital. The doctor said they need surgery. I don’t have the money for it because there are many of them. That’s why I want to get a job so I can earn and save money for their treatment, so they won’t die and leave me alone.”

She finished speaking and lowered her head again, crying.

Now he understood why she was so determined to see Hajiya. In his heart, he said to himself, “This servant of Allah is carrying such heavy worries at such a young age. Oh, but she has such a good mind!”

He took her hand and said,

“Wipe your tears, that’s enough. I’ll help you see Hajiya. Come, let’s go sit on the bench.”

She stood up, and they sat together on the bench. After a short silence, he said,

“Be calm now and stop crying. Allah is the Protector of His servants. Even if a person has no one, as long as they believe in Allah, He will be their Guardian. Continue to pray. Your siblings will recover, and you’ll play with them again.”

She smiled, comforted by his words. He reached for the kunu (a local millet drink) he had been preparing on his small metal stove. He had two small cups he used for serving tea. She kept glancing curiously at the little metal kettle he used, fascinated especially by what was inside it.

He poured some into a cup and handed it to her. She received it with both hands—she hadn’t eaten anything since the previous day. He poured some for himself as well, sipping while telling her stories of spiders and monkeys.

She barely understood what he was saying; the delicious taste of the sweetened drink distracted her. Slowly she sipped it, and almost three times he refilled her cup. Finally, he said jokingly,

“You glutton! Look at you finishing my drink. When Hajiya finds you a job and you start working, you must pay me for my tea!”

She smiled as she listened to him, surprised at how he jokingly described her like a boy, even though he clearly saw she was dressed as a girl.

Evening approached, but Hajiya had not yet returned. When it was time for the Dhuhr prayer, he personally opened the small gate door and they entered the compound. He fetched water in a kettle for them, and they performed ablution together. He spread out a mat and led the prayer, standing in front while she stood behind him.

After finishing, they remained seated on the prayer mat. He moved his prayer beads in remembrance while she drifted into her own thoughts. Later, when it was time for the Asr prayer, they prayed again. Even before they finished, he could hear the sound of Hajiya’s car approaching—the sign that she had arrived.